Everything in the world is made up of atoms. These tiny particles join together to form molecules. Some molecules are tiny. For example, one molecule of water has only two hydrogen atoms joined to one oxygen atom. However, other molecules grow into giant structures built from billions of atoms. Living things, such as the human body, are made from networks of molecules. Understanding the seemingly invisible world of atoms is very important.
High pressure biology is an old, fascinating and stimulating field of research. One of the major reasons for the interest in studying high pressure is that this environmental factor also plays an important role in thermodynamics and consequently in biology. Pressure, from a biological perspective, has a bearing on all living creatures. The book presents a panoramic view of this subject from molecules to the overall organism, via the cells and unicellular species, invertebrates and vertebrates, ectotherms and endotherms.
Microworlds: Unlocking the Secrets of Atoms and Molecules (Let's Explore Science)Describes the composition of matter, discussing atoms and their components, elements, molecules, bonding, reactions, and materials and their properties.
Physical science and chemistry are two different but closely related fields, and they are also two of the primary areas of physical science. Physics encompasses the study of the world's foundations - from the tiniest particles to the framework of the universe. Chemistry focuses more on the properties of matter and how individual atoms and molecules interact. Fundamental to both physics and chemistry are the interactions between matter and energy, and how one can be created from the other.
Added by: Maria | Karma: 3098.81 | Periodicals | 30 September 2008
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Switching on a lightbulb is a visual clichй for creativity. But a different kind of switch, made of molecules, affects a number of other critical mental processes. Life’s experiences add chemicals to the genes that control brain activity, dialing up or down the expression of various features. A special two-article section explores how these molecular mechanisms change our brains. “The New Genetics of Mental Illness,” by psychiatrist Edmund S. Higgins, starting on page 40, looks at how the environment influences our susceptibility to depression, anxiety and drug addiction. “Unmasking Memory Genes,” by neuroscientist Amir Levine, explains how such molecules shape memory and learning; see page 48. How does our unified conscious experience emerge from the activity of billions of brain cells and numerous processing “modules” (brain regions associated with certain types of thought)? The mystery has long tantalized researchers. In “Spheres of Influence,” neuroscientist Michael S. Gazzaniga finds some clues from his studies of split-brain patients, whose connective tissue between their two hemispheres has been separated. Are two brains better than one for learning about consciousness? Find out beginning on page 32.
